Wired
by Cheynne T
Summary: What if Kate and Caroline had not been interrupted by Beverley bringing in a cup of tea in series 1 episode 5?


**What if Kate and Caroline hadn't been interrupted by Beverley bringing in the tea in series 1 episode 5?**

"Wired"

After spending the night at Gillian's place worrying about the whereabouts and safety of Celia and Alan, Caroline now sat alone at a table near a large window, nursing her mug of coffee. She had stopped in at a busy roadhouse on her way back from Halifax after her mum and Alan had eventually been found safe and well, much to everyone's relief, in Southowram Hall having spent the night there, cloistered amongst the medieval spirits for the night, after being accidentally locked in.

As she sat there, Caroline observed around her the myriad of strangers, seemingly, on the surface, normal, happy people but probably, in reality, their lives no more or less complex than her own and yet, in contrast to Caroline, they appeared carefree and contented. It made it even more obvious to her how depressed and sad she'd gradually become over the last few months…years even…as the love had seeped out of her marriage with John only to be replaced with routine, familiarity and a nagging discontent for her life that she seemed impotent to do anything about. She had her two sons whom she loved very much and was a devoted mother to but it was this devotion to them that had kept her from acknowledging her own unhappiness and dissatisfaction. It was for them that she bottled up her sadness and gallantly put on a brave face each and every day. Even when her husband had deserted them to go and live with another woman, Judith, Caroline had kept a stiff upper lip for the sake of her sons, despite feeling that her world was crashing in around her. Then when John had come snivelling back to her, supposedly repentant and apologetic, again she'd put her own happiness aside and ended a blossoming relationship with the one person who showed her kindness and compassion, in order to keep others happy.

_"Is this how my mother had felt for fifty years?" Caroline asked herself. "Am I destined to also become the same embittered person Celia had been…a woman full of resentment and regrets?"_

If so, Caroline thought, she needed to do something about it and now. Caroline had been amazed at the different person her mother had become since meeting up again with her old flame, Alan, albeit sixty years later and rekindling the love they had for each other. Celia seemed to be alive in the most exciting sense of the word and Caroline envied her that.

As Caroline sat and watched the world about her, deep in thought, it suddenly all became clear. It was as though the thick fog that had settled over her in the last few months had been physically lifted and the way forward was obvious. She needed to stop pretending to others and most importantly, to herself….she was too old to pretend anymore…she needed to be true to herself…her head needed to listen to her heart for once. She had to at least give herself a chance to be happy.

What…or rather…who she wanted had been staring her in the face now for several months but she had found every pathetic excuse not to go there, not to fully commit, including the return of her useless, shallow jerk of a husband.

Her sudden honesty with herself about her feelings for her modern languages teacher, Kate McKenzie and her decision to accept her attraction was like an enormous weight being lifted from her shoulders bringing a small, acknowledging smile to her face.

Driving home, Caroline gave herself permission to think about Kate which was something that she rarely did as the pleasure and affection she felt when she thought about her only served to magnify Caroline's discontent with the rest of her life. In particular, she played over in her mind the two times they had kissed which were firmly etched in her memory.

The first time had been a quick 'good-bye' kiss after they had been to a local café for coffee one Saturday afternoon. Caroline had dropped Kate off at her house. As they said their farewells their eyes had met and held for a moment too long and Kate had leaned over and quickly kissed Caroline on the lips before opening the car door and leaving. The touch of their lips had been brief but electrifying, leaving Caroline wanting more.

The second occasion had been when Caroline had invited Kate over for dinner with her and the boys. Kate had stayed on well after dinner. The boys had gone off to their respective rooms leaving the two women sitting on the sofa talking and laughing comfortably and indulging in a second bottle of wine. Fully at ease with each other and encouraged by the effects of the alcohol, they had gradually snuck close together on the sofa until their thighs touched and their fingers entwined. As they each sensed the nearness of the other and realised what was happening, Caroline put one hand to Kate's face and drew her mouth in for a long and languid kiss…lips and tongues arousing all kinds of pleasurable feelings. Caroline felt like her whole body had been set on fire by this magnificent woman and would have liked nothing more than to continue the evening up in her bedroom ravishing her but she was not brave enough. When the kiss ended, Caroline made excuses about it being late and they both had work the next day. Reluctantly Kate took the hint, agreed with Caroline and was soon heading out the door. Two days later Caroline had summoned Kate into her office and effectively ended the relationship before it had even really started, leaving Kate confused and upset. At the time Caroline had cited John's return and the happiness of her sons as the reason but now that she was being honest with herself, she knew she had simply been too frightened…a coward. She knew that her feelings for Kate, if they had gone on unchecked, would have run deep and she was too afraid at the time of what others would think.

As Caroline pulled into her driveway, she noticed John's car also parked there but even the thought of facing him couldn't dampen her spirits. Her thoughts were only of Kate and it made her mood buoyant.

John met Caroline as she walked in the door. He inquired politely about Celia and Alan and then, before Caroline could make it up the stairs for some much needed sleep, he asked her if he could speak to her. Caroline half-heartedly flopped herself down on the couch as John began to explain that he'd given Judith some money for her rent and that he was wanting to be up front with her about it. Tired of his self-obsessed drivel, Caroline informed John matter-of-factly that she was seeing someone then left him, slack-jawed, as she finally made her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

Despite her tiredness, sleep evaded her. Every time Caroline closed her eyes her mind would fill with thoughts of the delectable Kate McKenzie…her exotic scent, the softness of her lips, the sensual feel of her tongue dancing in her mouth. Finally Caroline had to give up on the idea of even trying to sleep. It wasn't going to happen. She was too wired for sleep. She needed to see Kate as soon as possible. Instead Caroline showered and dressed for work, all the while the idea of her and Kate possibly being something more than friends lifting her spirits, exhilarating her as did her hunger for those lips again.

As the Head Teacher pulled her car into her reserved parking space at the entrance to the main building, she retrieved her phone from her bag and called Kate. The sound of the younger woman's voice as she answered sending shivers of excitement through Caroline's body…she really was wired. After checking that Kate had a free period, Caroline arranged for them to meet in her office then she hung up and made her way purposefully into the building. As she neared her office door she saw Kate approach from the opposite direction, a look of apprehension on her face. Caroline understood what Kate was thinking and was eager to relieve her concern but she was slowed down by Beverley, her assistant, who had seen her arrive and wanted to inquire about her mother. While conversing with Beverley, Caroline opened the door for Kate, barely disguising her admiration for the attractive woman's figure as her eyes closely followed Kate into the office.

"Can I get you some tea?" Beverley offered, "I think Allison's just made a pot,"

"No, thank you. Not just yet…maybe later," Caroline replied, "oh, and Beverley…I have a…um…meeting with Kate McKenzie at the moment. Would you make sure we're not disturbed for the next…let's say…half an hour or so?"

Beverley nodded and smiled obligingly before heading back to her own office. After taking a quick look to make sure Beverley was actually on her way, Caroline closed the first door and then the second. Kate stood in her office looking worried.

"What?" she asked Caroline.

Caroline could wait no longer. Without a word, she took the beautiful Nigerian woman's face in her hands and drew their lips together in a deep kiss into which Caroline poured all her hopes and desires for them. At the same time, she gently but firmly turned Kate around and pinned her to the door. Kate's worry rapidly dissipated, turning to surprise and pleasure simultaneously as she felt Caroline's mouth pressing against her own, hungry and demanding. Then, to her astonishment, she felt Caroline's fingers tug at her blouse and manoeuvre until they cupped her breast and Caroline's thumb grazed lightly over her nipple sending tiny, excited shockwaves through her. But it wasn't enough for Caroline as she turned her attention to undoing the buttons on Kate's blouse. Kate pulled back slightly, completely stunned by Caroline's boldness.

"Caroline…what's going on?" she asked.

Still working on the buttons, she looked up at Kate, Caroline's wonderful blue eyes bright with excitement as she said, "I told John."

"About us?" Kate replied, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.

Caroline nodded. "God, it felt good."

As Kate was still taking in this information she decided to take advantage of Caroline's change of heart about them and asked, "Do you want to come around tonight?"

"Yep," Caroline answered simply and without hesitation as she turned her attention back to Kate's blouse. Now that she had undone all the buttons, she slid it and the bra straps from Kate's shoulders and dabbed light kisses on the bare skin she'd exposed.

Kate tensed.

"Caroline…what if someone comes in?" she asked nervously.

"It's alright," Caroline replied, "I've put Beverley on guard duty…not even a SWAT team could get in."

Sensing Kate relax a little, Caroline went back to what she'd been doing, working her way down to Kate's full breasts. She could feel Kate's breathing quicken as she took first one and then the other of her nipples in her warm mouth and teased them with her tongue. A small moan of pleasure escaped the younger woman's lips which only encouraged Caroline further. Her mouth then turned its attention back to Kate's neck and shoulders while her fingers unbuckled Kate's belt and then undid first the button and then the zip on her trousers. Both women gasped audibly as Caroline's fingers found Kate's wetness waiting for her. Caroline moved her fingers in gentle, rhythmic circles, gradually increasing the intensity and honing in on Kate's most sensitive of spots, until she felt the other woman's entire body finally shudder with release.

"You are magnificent," Kate managed to whisper after a moment or two.

Caroline gave Kate a fabulous smile as she slowly removed her hand. Then her expression became more serious.

"Last night I thought mum and Alan were dead and it seemed so unfair to have met this one person after all these years and then die," Caroline explained, "and then I thought of you …and how you are the one person who brings me the most happiness and I foolishly let you go because I'm too scared and frightened to be honest with myself…I know I've run hot and cold over the past few months but I was hoping that I…we…could make a go of this."

By way of an answer, Kate took Caroline's hand and led a her short distance across the room until she had Caroline leaning up against the table. Kate deftly removed Caroline's scarf and nipped lightly at each ear lobe and the enticing bare skin of her neck and shoulders. Caroline closed her eyes and tilted her head back to give Kate better access. Gently Kate coerced Caroline back until she was sitting on the table then she slipped both hands beneath the hem of Caroline's dress and slowly caressed the inside of each thigh, eliciting quiet, involuntary moans of pleasure from the Head Teacher. With each stroke Kate's expert hands reached teasingly closer to Caroline's centre and drew her nearer to the climax she felt building up. Caroline knew that she wouldn't take much more before she toppled over the edge.

Suddenly the loud ringing of the school bell indicating the end of one lesson and the start of a new one startled the two women out of their intimate bubble.

"I have to go to class," Kate responded, "I'm sorry…"

"Not as sorry as I am," Caroline quipped, her head resting on Kate's shoulder.

Kate attempted to remove her hands from the top of Caroline's thighs but Caroline had them trapped beneath her own hands, the expression of her face begging Kate to continue.

"It's 9F…you know what happens if you keep them waiting," Kate explained, her voice a mixture of soft laughter at the situation they were caught in and regret at not being able to finish what she had started. "You know what a stickler for punctuality the Head Teacher here is."

"But I'm so close…"Caroline pleaded in a whisper, her eyes looking into Kate's.

"You might have to…um…."

"What?" Caroline asked, puzzled, and then, realising what Kate was suggesting, blushed slightly. "So where's the fun in that, then….No…you're going to have to finish what you began," Caroline insisted playfully as she stood up and adjusted her clothing. "Will you be home by four?"

"I can be," Kate teased, a wide grin on her face.

Caroline put her arms around Kate's waist and whispered in her ear exactly what it was she had planned for the evening. Kate's eyebrows both rose in amused surprise at the suggestion.

"Won't that be technically difficult?" Kate asked.

"I'm sure we'll think of something," Caroline replied confidently as she trapped the other woman's lips with her own for one last delicious moment of pleasure.

Suddenly, remembering she was due on class, Kate pulled away, shaking her head at just how easily she was distracted by the gorgeous Dr Elliot.

"I'll see you tonight then," Kate said as she turned to leave.

"You certainly will," Caroline assured her, a suggestive glint in her eye.

**A/N Although it wasn't the intention at the time, "I Owe You One" follows on from this story so if you wish to find out what happens at 4, may I suggest that you read that story if you haven't already. Thanks for reading.**


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